Building tile construction



Jan. 16, 1940. E. .A. RONEY ET AL BUILDING TILE CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 15, 1936 ElEul.

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BUILDING TILE CUNP TRUCTLJN Filed Oct 15-. 19 6 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NVENTOR Patented Jan. 16, 1940 BUILDING TILE CONSTRUCTION Edward A. Roney and John E. Mangine, Oakland, Calif.

Application October 15,

2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to improvements in building tile construction and has particular reference to a hollow building tile of transparent character.

I The principal object of the invention is the provision of a building tile of hollow formation having removable lenses of transparent character for building walls, partitions, and the like in structures wherein it is desired to secure a maximum degree of the sun's diffused light rays.

Another object of the invention is to produce a transparent hollow tile which embodies a frame, preferably of cellular metal, and having its exposed faces closed by fluted or mottled glass lens sections that may be cemented in the frame to form a continuous flush surface both inside and outside of the structure.

A further object of the invention is to produce a transparent hollow tile of the character set forth that embodies inside and outside lenses that may be quickly and easily removed from their frames and replaced in case of breakage without the necessity of removing the entire frame from the wall.

A still further object of the invention. is to' produce a transparent hollow tile of this character that embodies removable and replaceable lens sections of various colors so that a structure wall may be built up either by the use of a single color or alternate colors or combinations thereof to produce a pleasing effect in the design of the structure walls.

Auxiliary to the foregoing objects is that of producing a transparent hollow tile of this char- '5 acter that may be easily molded, that is simple in construction, and that may be economically manufactured.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. l is a face view of a fragmentary section of a wall showing a plurality of the improved hollow tile in place;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional detail, further illustrating the formation of the tile, the section being indicated by the line 22 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an edge view of one of the tile lenses showing the shouldered sections thereof capable of fitting into the supporting frame Sections of the tile and to which the lenses are cemented to produce the tile unit;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail, further 1936, Serial No. 105,792

illustrating the method of fitting the lenses into the frame and finally cementing the same securely in place therein;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 5--5 Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the cellular metal frame with the lenses removed.

Hollow tile have been extensively used in constructing walls and partitions in modern building structures, and more recently transparent tile have been utlized in erecting walls and partitions in many structures wherein light and warmth is a prime factor.

These transparent tile, while a great improvement over the ordinary clay tile, are much more costly to install and repair in that when a tile lens is broken, it is necessary to remove the whole tile from the wall, as tile of this character are constituted of a frame and an inner and an outer lens all fused together as a unit. Hence, it is very difficult to remove the broken section and replace the same.

Our improved tile is constructed in such a manner that the frame embodies a plurality of rectangularly shaped supporting sections into which the lenses are fitted and cemented and which when shattered may be easily removed from the cellular frame and replaced without in any way disturbing the frame or frames constituting the wall.

In the accompanying drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of our invention, the numeral 5 designates a wall of a building structure composed of a plurality of hollow tile sections 6. The sections or cells B may be rectangular in form or hexagonal or any other shape desired and are constituted preferably of integrally cast metallic top and bottom walls 1 and side walls 8. The outer edges of these Walls are shouldered, as indicated at 9, and provide projecting tongues ID. The lenses l i may be fluted or plain, and said lenses are provided with grooved edges I 2, providing projecting lips l3 capable of fitting over the tongues H] of the wall frame and having their side edges in abutted relation when set into the frame.

In assembling the lenses in the frame, -a thin layer of cement is placed between the tongues ID of the frames and the grooved and lipped sections of the lenses so that said lenses when cemented to both inner and outer sides of the frame will present a plurality of segregated tile sections, providing a flush outer and inner wall surface.

In the event that any of the lenses are broken, it is only necessary to remove the broken fragments from the frame and replace the same by the application of cement to the shouldered sections 9 and tongues [0 of the frame, without the necessityof removing the entire frame as is the practice when the unit tile wall is to be repaired as hereinbefore described.

It will thus be seen that we have produced a hollow transparent tile that will render the desired diffused light and that will economical to install as the ordinary tile of this character and that may be easily and quickly repaired, thereby greatly decreasing the maintenance of walls and partitions of this character.

It is to be understood that the form of our invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes relative to the material, size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without-departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

ing opposite sides thereof provided with projecting tongue sections and recessed shoulders,

and transparent lens sections having recessed edges capable of resting against the frame shoulders and covering the tongue sections thereof and cementitiously secured in place in the frame providing flush outer and inner transparent wall surfaces.

- EDWARD A. RONEY. JOHN E. MA NGINE. 

